


He's My (black pearl)

by lovelyairi



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Pirate, Flirting, M/M, Pirates, Underage Bartending, Underage Drinking, bartending, it's overall not too serious, mentions of horrible parents - Freeform, rated teen for some R rated jokes but nothing too descriptive
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-26
Updated: 2020-12-26
Packaged: 2021-03-11 04:55:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,534
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28329333
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lovelyairi/pseuds/lovelyairi
Summary: Kyungsoo was just trying to do his job really but among all the drunkards he happened to catch the eyes of a charming pirate who won't leave him alone
Relationships: Do Kyungsoo | D.O/Kim Jongin | Kai
Comments: 14
Kudos: 50
Collections: The Little Prince Fest_Round Three





	He's My (black pearl)

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt #DKS-20-006:  
> Kyungsoo is just a tavern bartender at a small bay city, but that pirate won't stop trying to convince him to join his crew.
> 
> Notes: THIS WAS NOT BETA'D OR EDITED   
> Also, for some reason I couldn't commit to a dialect or time period, I apologize in advance  
> This prompt was super cute and I just felt so attached to it when I read it  
> I know this fic doesn't give it justice tbh but I did what I could and I'm still glad I finished it <3 I hope you're all taking care of yourselves and that you'll enjoy all of the amazing fics that will come from this fest!   
> Please remember to gives kudos and leave comments for all of the writers and artists that participated! <333 and big thank you to the mods for hosting this fest~   
> Kyungsoo will be back soon y'all ;; let's all enjoy as many fics as he can until he is!

It’s a cold night, much colder than it usually would be in the beginning of Autumn and Kyungsoo finds himself shoving his hands deeper into the pockets of his thin coat. He mutters curses under his breath aimed at himself for not dressing warmer and his steps are hurried though his boots get caught in the uneven cobblestone road that leads to the tavern near the harbor. Kyungsoo lifts his head with much difficulty due to the bite of the wind and he squints as he looks out onto the harbor. There weren’t many ships docked there tonight, most of the people in the city have already set out since early morning for whatever it was that they do. Honestly speaking, Kyungsoo never had much of an interest in the sea. She was beautiful but relentless and he knew that better than anyone. Kyungsoo kept his distance from her clutches and he stayed safe in the little city of Aquados. His steps hasten as he reaches the tavern doors and he grips the cold handle with both hands, grunting as he pulls the heavy door open. The whip of wind that follows makes him gasp and he stumbles inside, his coat nearly getting caught as the door thuds shut.

“Geez Kyungsoo, way to make an entrance! Hurry on back here, they’re complaining about my bartending skills,” Kyungsoo allows himself a second to get used to the toasty warm air inside of the tavern before he greets the guests that had already filled up every seat. In a city the size of theirs, it wasn’t hard to know every face that smiled at him. The names occasionally left his mind but they’d always come back eventually. The smell of baked savoury pies and beer fill his nose and it’s familiar. Whatever Minseok was working on back in the kitchen must be a success because it smells divine. He removes his coat as he walks and he looks up at his coworker, Chanyeol, who was staring at him helplessly behind the bar. Kyungsoo rolls his eyes at the regulars seated on the high stools in front of Chanyeol and he grins at them.

“Don’t give him such a hard time folks, Chanyeol just needs practice that’s all. But what are  _ you _ doing behind the bar anyways? You think they’d ought to send  _ literally _ anyone else,” Kyungsoo teases and the two old men at the bar cackle at Chanyeol’s expense. Chanyeol was the waiter at their fine establishment, having the very handy talent of carrying the huge trays topped sky high with beer mugs on his large hands. He was too tall and he was friendly, a smile that showed too much teeth always on his face . His hair was messy, curly and usually tied up on top of his head showing off his ears. Not to mention, Chanyeol was the warmest of them all, making guests feel comfortable and at home in their little tavern. Kyungsoo pulls up the sleeves of his dress shirt and he walks over to the sink near Chanyeol, washing his hands thoroughly before he dries them with a towel. Chanyeol is still hovering around behind him and Kyungsoo raises an eyebrow.

“I was just kidding love, don’t take it too personally,” Kyungsoo winks and Chanyeol’s ears burn red before he scurries off to take care of the guests at the tables. There’s two men sitting side by side at the bar as well as an older woman who looks at him with a smirk. Kyungsoo had met her before, he knew this whole city at this point but there was always something about how she watched him work. It felt like she was waiting for him to slip up. Kyungsoo had been working this job for 7 years now since he turned 13. When he was younger, he had been found by the tavern owner who saw his body washed up from the harbor. Kyungsoo couldn’t recall anything from before that incident, only knowing his name and that he must’ve been in some kind of shipwreck because of the splinters of wood stuck in his hair and his hands. The city of Aquados had become home in an instant, the tavern owner taking him under his wing and making him a worker essentially. He didn’t mind, he was thankful for the old man’s opportunity.

Kyungsoo knew the bar better than anyone and he knew the adults’ tastes better than they did. He knew that Margaret didn’t agree with having such a young person manning the bar but really, who else were they going to rely on for their alcohol? She owned the jewelry shop that always seemed to be empty when Kyungsoo passed by. The people in this city didn’t really care for jewelry but she was pretty popular with tourists that was for sure. She kept her door open since her cats liked to wander and sometimes when he peeked inside he’d meet her eyes as she shone the same jewel she always did. The two men were named John and William, they were workers at the harbor. Not sailors though, they never left Aquados. Their little city wasn’t the easiest to enter and they’d talked about how it was a hassle to leave home for months on end without any real prospects guaranteed. 

“You tease him too much Kyungsoo, at this rate the boy will never step out of his shell,” William laughed heartily and Kyungsoo smiles, shaking his head as he looked up at Chanyeol. The giant was currently balancing a tray while taking down orders with his free hand. He was always attentive to those around him, careful to aid anyone who stumbled from their chair or was shouting so that he could hear them. Chanyeol was an expert at his job and he handled all 10 tables perfectly. Of course Kyungsoo helped out with delivering drinks from time to time, especially if the kitchen was on his ass but in general, no one took care of the guests like Chanyeol did. Kyungsoo rinses his tools and places everything as he prefers it before he grabs a mug from the rack. There’s no hesitation in his movement as he fills it up from the wooden keg next to him and he places the mug down beside John’s empty one, ensuring his hand isn’t empty before he begins washing the dirty mug.

“He’s an oaf but he has a good heart, you all know that,” Kyungsoo says with a fond smile and no one could disagree with him. It was a truth they all knew. Chanyeol doesn’t say anything as he places down the drink orders on the tray beside Kyungsoo and he immediately begins grabbing what he needs while Chanyeol calls out to the kitchen. Kyungsoo fills a short glass and tall glass with ice before he grabs his spirits. For the short glass he adds two ounces of rum and for the tall glass he adds one. He leaves the short glass for a second before he grabs the bottles of orange juice and lemon juice with his left hand, the bottle of lime juice in his right. He goes up on his toes to add a half ounce of each juice to the tall glass before setting them down. As he does he grabs the grenadine bottle and red vermouth with both hands, topping off the drink with the red liquids. Kyungsoo sets down the bottles before he reaches to the small tins on his left. He grabs a toothpick and pricks a cherry before adding it and an orange slice to the rim of the tall glass. Kyungsoo places both on a tray and Chanyeol picks it up seconds after.

Kyungsoo cleans his shot glass as he watches each respective customer receive their drink. A smile on his face when they appear satisfied, the lady with the tall glass winking at him as she takes a bite of the cherry. Kyungsoo ignores the blatant flirting attempt and he sets down his shot glass on his bar mat, wiping down the counter with a towel before he stands still again. The man who received the short glass seems bitter as he throws back half of the glass in one sip. Kyungsoo doesn’t judge. It’s just his job to make sure no one dies inside of the bar, if they can still walk as they leave, he doesn’t really hold responsibility for what happens afterwards. For a moment Kyungsoo just stands behind the bar, his mind is elsewhere but his body is present, ready to kick back into gear the moment he’s needed. Tonight seemed to be a bit slower though and everyone already had their drinks in their hands. Kyungsoo was keeping an eye out for any glasses that were half empty but everyone’s cups were pretty full. 

“What’s on your mind dearie?” Kyungsoo looks at Margaret who seemed to have a knowing smile on her face. Kyungsoo didn’t know what that look was supposed to mean. He shrugs and continues shining the glasses in his reach. There was a weird air in Aquados tonight, he’d felt it when he’d been walking to work. Though to be fair he couldn’t really focus on much when the strong wind was hitting him the way it did. Chanyeol walks past carrying a tray with two meat pies on top and Kyungsoo’s stomach almost growls at the delicious scent, he probably should’ve eaten something before coming into work. Margaret seems like she has something else she wants to say but she doesn’t and Kyungsoo is thankful for that. The door to the tavern opens roughly and Kyungsoo winces when the heavy door smacks the wall, the picture frames shaking but not falling due to some luck.

“Welcome!” Chanyeol greets with that same dumb smile he always has and Kyungsoo tenses up at the sight before him. There are four men at the door and he’s seen them before. Well, more like he’s seen the man standing in front before. He has the same boyish grin on his lips that revealed his teeth, those two golden ones always seemed to mock him. They’re all dressed similarly, with their dirty puffy white dress shirts and tight trousers. Their hands are all adorned with shimmering gold jewelry, rings and bracelets, some with red jewels sitting on top. They all look unkempt, dirty with their messy hair, no doubt going months without bathing. Their hair is all long and either tied in braids or ponytails, beads woven in their tangled locks. The man at the front walks towards the bar without hesitation and he sits in the stool right in front of Kyungsoo. His breath hitches when the man leans forward, resting his chin in the palm of his hand as he looks up at Kyungsoo like he had something amusing to share.

“Hello my pearl, have you missed me?” Kyungsoo ignores the flutter in his chest from the man’s attention and he doesn’t look him in the eye. The other three take up the other free seats in front of the bar and Kyungsoo inwardly sighs, knowing that his peaceful night was ruined. Chanyeol looks a little uncomfortable as one of the pirates with a golden chain across his face begins talking to him and Kyungsoo’s hands immediately start reaching for rum. 

“Can’t say I remember who you are exactly,” Kyungsoo gives the most saccharine smile and he’s speaking with so much sweetness on his tongue that his throat feels rough. He places four glasses on the counter and fills them up one by one, sprinkling sugar in the first glass and adding a round ball of ice. Kyungsoo slides each glass down towards each person and he’s sure to leave the bottle and place out coasters as well. He ignores the way the man in front of him is blatantly staring and smiling at him and he closes his eyes, sighing as he begins wiping down his counter. Kyungsoo can’t help but watch as the man lifts his glass, the ball of ice rolls around and the sound rings in his head. The man doesn’t look away from him as he takes a sip and Kyungsoo breaks eye contact first, finding it all too intimate.

“Mmm and you just so happened to remember the way I take my rum?” The man smiles behind his glass as he takes another sip and Kyungsoo’s eyes widen, his cheeks heating up immediately. Curse his muscle memory. 

“Ahh, nothing quite like a drink fashioned by your hand. Nothing like it in the seven seas,” the pirate says in a dreamy manner, looking directly into Kyungsoo’s eyes as he lifts his glass once more.

“Don’t make me report you, pirate,” Kyungsoo spits and the man seems extremely happy at his attention. Kyungsoo rolls his eyes and he turns away, pretending to adjust the expensive bottles he keeps high up. Though to be honest he can’t really reach them without a step stool or Chanyeol. The tavern owner had told him he’d grow tall enough to reach them someday, it’s been 7 years and it was a complete lie. Kyungsoo curls his hands and he stands straight and proper behind the bar. The pirate grins at him, all too boyish, all too charming if not for the fact that he was a complete scallywag. He was more than aware that no matter how many times Kyungsoo threatened to report him, he never would. Aquados was a small shit city that gave little to no fucks about pirates coming into the bay. It wasn’t like there were ever any casualties, the pirates just drank and slept here sometimes. The Governor saw no need to stir trouble so he didn’t.

“You’re being so cold. Won’t you call me by my name?” the pirate pouts. He  _ pouts _ and the sight goes straight to Kyungsoo’s heart. Honestly, he’d be lying if he said he didn’t find the pirate attractive but there was always a line there. One that Kyungsoo would never cross. He was a pirate and Kyungsoo was well aware of what pirates did. It didn’t sit right with him, the life of thievery, taking wealth to claim as your own. As someone who’s had to work hard since he was stranded he couldn’t understand that kind of existence. He wasn’t against it per say, but it wasn’t for him and there was no way he was going to sleep with a man that pillaged. The sound of a glass breaking causes Kyungsoo to turn away and he sees Chanyeol bending down to pick up the broken pieces, before he can cut his clumsy hands though Kyungsoo stops him.

“Don’t be a fool, love, grab the dustpan and broom from the back,” Kyungsoo holds his hands and they stand together. Chanyeol’s face is burning red and Kyungsoo watches him go with a shake of his head and a smile on his lips. He squats down to clean up the liquor on the wooden floor and he sighs inwardly, that was expensive rum. It didn’t come out of his pocket or anything but it always made him sad to see good liquor wasted like that. Kyungsoo pulls a towel from the counter and he begins to dabs the floor carefully, watching as it colours the towel amber. Kyungsoo walks to the back room and tosses the towel in one of the baskets before he returns to the front, Chanyeol is now cleaning up his mess, his head still lowered.

“I’m sorry I didn’t ask right away, are you alright sir?” Kyungsoo asks the pirate with the face chain who is seemingly glaring at him. The pirate purses his lips and his fake smile rivals Kyungsoo’s.

“I am quite alright, thank you barmen,” Kyungsoo gives him a nod and he returns to his usual spot, he wipes down the counter out of habit and sighs.

“I apologize for the ruckus Kai-” Kyungsoo pauses and the pirate gives him the brightest smile possible. Kyungsoo sighs and he wants to mentally slap himself for saying the pirate’s name. As much as he wanted to act nonchalant to Kai’s advances and charm, it’s so difficult when the pirate appears in his dreams constantly. Kai begins reaching into his pocket and Kyungsoo raises an eyebrow. The three others at the bar are completely erased from his mind, he can only focus and look at Kai right now. Then again, it wasn’t like the other three wanted to be anywhere near the pirates, John who was sitting next to Kai seemed like he was going to fall out of his seat. Kai pulls out a small pouch and he dangles it in front of Kyungsoo, his smile widening and his eyes crinkling as the bartender holds open a palm for him to drop it into.

“Here you are Kyungsoo, a reward for remembering my name,” Kai purposely brushes their fingers and Kyungsoo’s face heats up. He knows that it’s already spread to his ears but he truly hopes the pirate doesn’t notice. But judging how Kai won’t look at anything but him, he definitely sees it. Kai leans forward a bit, tilting his head from side to side as he looks at Kyungsoo’s features.

“Look somewhere else, pirate,” Kyungsoo’s words have no bite whatsoever but they must be amusing enough because Kai beams at him. He places the pouch he’d just received in his pocket and he refills the empty glasses for the other pirates as well as Kai. After that because the pirate’s never disrupting gaze was growing a little too heavy for him to bear he decided to go over to the other patrons sitting at the bar, though definitely less comfortable than they were moments ago. Margaret pays and leaves while John and William were just talking amongst themselves. Kyungsoo deposits Margeret’s coins into the box below the counter and he isn’t surprised that there’s no extra tip. She never offered anything extra. Not that Kyungsoo minded, he received a well enough pay and the weight of the small pouch he’d received from Kai was probably enough to last him two weeks. 

Kai talks to the pirate on his left and Kyungsoo just steps back for a second, looking around the tavern as he does. This has been familiar to him since his first days of memory, since he’d been saved by the tavern owner. But was this all there was? Kyungsoo shakes his head, not wanting to think about anything else anymore. He begins cleaning the glass Margeret had her drink from, having momentarily forgotten about it for a second and he prays that the owner hadn’t seen that. Kyungsoo hums along to the soft music playing from an old phonograph that had been there as long as he had been and he feels content for a little while. The lull in sounds had passed by now that the pirates were settled in and Kyungsoo smiled at the comfortable sounds of people eating, talking, drinking, the sound of Chanyeol and Minseok yelling orders at each other and the soft music that brought it all together. Kyungsoo meets Kai’s eyes and the pirate has a smirk on his lips, he leans forward, crooking a finger in Kyungsoo’s direction to bring him closer.

“Might I tell you an observation of mine?” Kai asks and Kyungsoo raises an eyebrow. He’s heard a number of things from the pirate before but nothing that he would ever believe. To humour his patron he gives a fake smile and nods his head. Kai looks at him with something like adoration and Kyungsoo doesn’t know how to feel about that. The pirate waves at him, wanting him to come even closer and Kyungsoo sighs before leaning as close as he can without leaning over the counter. This was the first time he was this close to the pirate and despite his uncouth appearance, he smells wonderful. He smelt like a sea breeze, but with a hint of musk and spice that tickled Kyungsoo’s senses. Kai laughs softly and his warm breath almost makes Kyungsoo back away.

“You look as if you do not belong here,” Kai whispers and Kyungsoo pulls away abruptly. The words burn deep inside of him and he feels his face heating up in humiliation. The pirate doesn’t look away from him, the smirk still on his lips like he knows something. Kyungsoo clears his throat and composes himself as Chanyeol hands him another three orders to fill. Kyungsoo grabs three different cups, two tall ones made of a flexible material and one short glass, filling them all with ice before he grabs his shot glass. He adds an ounce of Scotch and half an ounce of honey spiced liquor to it before he tips it into the short glass, placing it back on a tray for Chanyeol to take to a customer. After rinsing his shot glass he then grabs the bottle of vodka, pouring an ounce into his shot glass and adding half an ounce of orange liqueur before pouring it into one of the two tall cups while he does that he uses his other hand to add three drops of bitters to the other one. He tops off the vodka and orange cup with lime juice and rinses his glass once more. Finally he adds an ounce and a half of Rye and half an ounce of Red Vermouth pouring it into the cup with the bitters.

Kyungsoo doesn’t pay attention to the way that the pirates are all watching him work. They’re so used to just ordering rum that they haven’t seen him do anything else before. It made him feel a little prideful, he knew that he was good at his job but another part of him couldn’t shake Kai’s words. Kyungsoo grabs one of his clean metal cups, placing it over the one topped up with lime juice before slamming it down with his hand. He lifts up the cups over his shoulder and proceeds to shake them before he hits the side of the cups, releasing them from each other. He then pours it out into tall glass and for the other cup he places a bar spoon inside, stirring it up before he pulls out the spoon and places a hawthorne strainer on top. Kyungsoo strains the drink into a martini glass and he tops it with a cherry. For the other drink he adds a slice of lime to its rim. He places both drinks on the same tray and Chanyeol picks them up immediately. Kyungsoo then begins cleaning all of his cups and tools he’d used.

“How is it that you have such a hold on me, my pearl? Won’t you come with me-?”

“Kai, we need to go,” the pirate sitting next to Kai interrupts him with a nudge and he sighs before turning back to Kyungsoo. He reaches into his pocket once more and pulls out a larger pouch this time, reaching inside before grabbing a handful of coins. He places them down on the counter in a neat pile before placing another right next to it.

“I am sorry, our time is short tonight my pearl. I will see you again soon. This is for the broken glass and the rum, and this? For your impeccable service. Till the next time,” Kai reaches for Kyungsoo’s hand and he doesn’t know what possessed him to take it. 

“I will miss you dearly, surely you are aware that there is a place for you on our ship?” Kai looks sad, as if this was more than just a pirate looking for fun in the form of a young and tired bartender. Kyungsoo almost tugs his hand away but Kai’s warmth is so pleasing.

“You cannot make me a pirate Kai,” Kyungsoo whispers and Kai laughs.

“Of course not, but there is always room for you. A room of your own perhaps or a place in my bed. I would not object to either,” Kai winks and presses his chapped lips to the knuckles of Kyungsoo’s hand. The bartender’s breath hitches and he almost wants to pull away but he can’t. He can’t deny the arousal swirling in his stomach and the pirate can see it instantly, his grin growing in a smug way. The moment dissipates and Kyungsoo pulls his hand away, his lips pursed as he tries to maintain his composure. 

“A thought my pearl, for your pretty head. I am trying to be the only one you think of,” Kai says with a charming smile and Kyungsoo can’t react to the not so subtle invitation as the pirate and his mates slink off back into the night. The pretty one with the chain is the last to leave and he grabs one of the coins from the pile for the rum and glass before he hands it to Chanyeol.

“For you,” he says and Chanyeol’s jaw drops as the pirate grins at him.

“Baekhyun, the Captain is waiting,” the two pirates return and Baekhyun sighs.

“Wouldn’t want to upset our dearest Captain now would we? I was on my way, Chen, Lay,” Baekhyun groans and they leave the tavern with another slam of the door. Kyungsoo wonders who Kai is but he doesn’t get to linger on the fact because when he finally looks down at the payment he sees that Kai paid the right amount for the liquor and the broken glass, even with Baekhyun handing some of it to Chanyeol. The pile for him however, was much larger and he swallowed hard. He puts the payment in the small chest underneath the countertop and he scoops up the coins for him with one hand before awkwardly trying to open the pouch Kai had given him. Kyungsoo frowns at the sight of a pair of ruby earrings and he feels sick inside thinking of how Kai came across these.

“I don’t even have my ears pierced,” he mumbles and places the coins in the same bag before shoving it into his pocket. Just as quickly as he’d appeared he was now gone. Kyungsoo sighs and he stuffs the pouch back inside of his pocket, his hands trembling as he does.

“What did he give you this time, Kyungsoo?” Chanyeol asks, genuinely curious since the pirate seemed to give him something new each time. Kyungsoo thinks back to the small chest of gifts from said pirate that he kept underneath his bed, afraid to sell them for some odd reason. Kyungsoo shakes his head and he grins,

“Just some extra coins. You seem tense Chanyeol, do you want a drink?” 

  
  
  


Weeks later Kyungsoo finds himself walking around the city with his nose buried deep in a handmade scarf from one of his loyal customers. He can’t really remember who it was since it had been years ago but he appreciates it because cloth was so expensive nowadays. Aquados was never really the interest of trade for any of the nearby cities and they weren’t even looked at by the bigger ports. Autumn is blending into Winter and Kyungsoo begins running through the hot drink recipes he’d thought up during the summer. Though to be honest, no one really cared about the cold, nothing could come between them and their cold beer. Kyungsoo thought of the warmer drinks for his coworkers or for the older folks that came to the tavern, he always felt sorry for them when they came through the doors shivering. The tavern was right by the bay and that meant that the wind blew a little harder there. Kyungsoo makes his way down the streets with ease, thankful that snow hasn’t fallen, he wasn’t sure he was quite prepared for that just yet. 

Aquados despite being small in their numbers was a bustling place. Everyone had something to do during the day, be it the vendors in the market, the grumpy shopkeepers or the children playing in the streets after hours in the school house. Kyungsoo usually wakes up past noon after spending much too long at the tavern but he didn’t mind his routine, if anything it felt safe. He enters the marketplace, hoping for some fresh produce even though it was the middle of the week. Aquados only had wheat and barley to offer, everything else came in from shipments loaded on the ships. Since Kyungsoo could have meals at the tavern he didn’t really stock up on much but he needed more flour. His multiple attempts at baking bread had proven to have been fruitless and he was going to bake a perfect loaf by the end of the week goddammit. Kyungsoo dodges a wagon to his right and after holding back the urge to curse at the driver he makes his way over to the stall near the end of the street. As he’s on his way there he looks over to his left seeing a group of people sitting on stools in front of the small soup stall. The old man served the soup in mugs and Kyungsoo had to admit that it was pretty great during Winter.

“Eat up boys, we stay tonight,” Kyungsoo can’t help but turn his head at the familiar voice and he realizes that the group in front of the stall are the pirates who’d frequented the tavern every now and then. Kyungsoo unconsciously stares and he flinches when Kai’s eyes meet his own. Kyungsoo turns away and he begins walking faster to the flour stall and he curses at his own lack of luck. Kyungsoo reaches the stall and he smiles at the old woman standing in the cold, he points to the usual flour he gets and he waits to hand over his coins when she ties the back. Before he can however, a hand reaches from behind him and drops two coins into her outstretched hands, those rings mocking him.

“Thank you kindly ma’am. Hello pearl, I didn’t think I’d see you here. Was planning on visiting ye at the tavern tonight,” Kyungsoo sighs and looks over his shoulder at Kai who was smiling brightly at him. The old woman seems a little uncomfortable at the blatant flirting and Kyungsoo doesn’t blame her. He lifts an eyebrow and places two coins into Kai’s hand before he begins to walk the other way, hoping to get home so he can get started on his bread. Unfortunately, Kyungsoo wasn’t blessed with long legs like a certain pirate so he’s caught up in a few steps which only infuriates him further. But it doesn’t really manifest into anger, he’s much too tired for that. Kyungsoo glances at Kai’s other crewmates who he left at the vendors and he looks up at the pirate, raising an eyebrow. 

“Won’t your boys miss you? I doubt your Captain will be happy if he finds out you’ve been ditching work,” Kyungsoo asks nonchalantly and Kai laughs softly. 

“They won’t even know I’m missing. I’d much rather spend time with you,” Kai says and Kyungsoo knows that isn’t true, Baekhyun was already glaring at them. He slows down once they exit the market since he has no intention to lead the pirate to his house and he turns around to face Kai. The pirate stops in his tracks but there’s a charming smile on his lips, or at least Kyungsoo thinks it’s charming, he can’t really tell because it’s borderline smug. 

“Look, I’m not going to join your crew so you should stop wasting your time and mine,” Kyungsoo deadpans and the smile on Kai’s face fades into something more serious. The bartender steps back a little, keeping some difference between them since he’s worried that he’s going to get stabbed or shot. 

“Kyungsoo, we both know you don’t belong here. This place isn’t safe for you anymore,” Kai speaks in a whisper and Kyungsoo’s eyes widen. He pushes the pirate away from him with shaking hands.

“Stay the fuck away from me,” he hisses before running home. Kyungsoo doesn’t look back, hoping that the pirate isn’t following him and when he’s in the safety of his house he’s relieved to see that no one was outside of his door. The house was small and comfortable, something he managed to afford once he was 18 years old. The tavern owner didn’t mind him living with him above the bar but Kyungsoo wanted his own space. Possibly because… Kai was right. Kyungsoo places his grocery bag down on the counter in his kitchen before he runs to the room on the right, there was no upstairs. Beneath his bed was a little chest that was filled to the brim with different jewels and extra coins he’d kept from his nights at the tavern. Most of, if not all of the jewelry was from Kai. Bracelets, earrings, necklaces, some of them were small and dainty while others were loud and bold. However, one thing inside of the box wasn’t from the pirate, it belonged to him. 

Sewn in the pocket of his coat when the tavern owner had found him washed up from the sea was a pearl. A black pearl to be specific. Truth be told, Kyungsoo knew where he’d come from and who he was but to fulfill a promise to his parents he acted as an amnesiac. Kyungsoo sighs and he grabs the pearl, putting it in his pocket. It stuck close to his body so hopefully he wouldn’t accidentally lose it somehow. This pearl had caused him more troubles than anything else but it also wasn’t something he could just get rid of. Kyungsoo goes to his kitchen and he just stares at it for a moment, not knowing what to do. Tonight would probably be his last night in Aquados. He would take everything he needed then he would leave after one last shift at the tavern… or maybe he’d just tell the owner he couldn’t do it anymore and that he had to leave. It wasn’t the best way to leave things but he couldn’t afford any risks. Kai could have been messing with him but he wouldn’t take any chances.

Fuck, he was really feeling at home in this city too. More than he ever had before. Kyungsoo begins packing his things, his few shirts and pants, suspenders and underwear. He takes the chest of goods with him as well and he ties it all up in a single bag that he swings over his shoulder. Kyungsoo puts on his warmest coat and his boots before he shoves his hands in his pocket and begins making his way down to the tavern. It was still a little early till the tavern really opened though to be honest it was usually open from noon, but the actual drink menu wasn’t available till after he began work. Kyungsoo tries not to look suspicious and he carefully walks down the cobblestone walkway while keeping his eyes down. He didn’t want to look around and reminisce right now. Kyungsoo sighs and he looks over the tavern one last time before he enters, the small chime can be heard during the quiet hours of the day and he looks up to see the tavern owner standing behind the bar. The only ones actually fit to stand behind the bar were him and the owner though sometimes Chanyeol helped out. 

“Yer not supposed to be here till after dusk Kyungsoo, what brings you here? A drink?” The owner, named Junmyeon jests with him and Kyungsoo can’t help but laugh, having grown fond of the older man’s jokes over the years. He takes a seat at the empty bar, seeing how there were only a few people there and most of the tables were vacant. Junmyeon’s eyes immediately look at the bag that Kyungsoo sets down on the stool beside him and he smiles at him. Kyungsoo returns the smile though he can feel how heavy the air between them has gotten. Junmyeon reaches for a metal cup and he fills it with ice before pouring in whiskey free hand along with lemon juice. He places a flexible cup on top and snaps it shut with a hit of his hand before he begins shaking it with one hand, using the other to clean up. Once he’s done he taps the side and it comes apart cleanly, he then uses a hawthorne strainer to strain the drink into a small glass before he slides it in front of Kyungsoo. 

“Go on, drink up. You’ve a lot on your mind. I can tell you that,” Junmyeon smiles and Kyungsoo looks down at the perfect layer of foam formed on the top of the drink just from shaking alone. No matter how many years he trained under the tavern owner he could never be as good as he was. Kyungsoo takes a sip and he grimaces a little at the taste, never truly ever being fond of alcohol. He’d been drinking casually since he was young since Junmyeon told him that he needed to know how his drinks tasted if he wanted to be a successful bartender and though he doesn’t really believe in that philosophy he didn’t want to go against the man who’d practically become his father. Kyungsoo didn’t know much about Junmyeon, only that he never wanted to be a father and that he never wanted Kyungsoo to refer to him as such. It’d happened naturally, in his mind at least, he’d never call Junmyeon anything but his name out loud. 

“I have to go,” Kyungsoo says simply and Junmyeon doesn’t look at him for a moment, finding the cups he needed to wash suddenly very interesting. Kyungsoo swallows hard and he takes another sip of the drink, it truly was fantastic even if it was something he didn’t particularly like. 

“You better come back and visit,” Junmyeon says after a moment of silence and Kyungsoo feels emotions swelling up inside of him. He can’t hold it any longer and he walks around the counter before pulling Junmyeon into a hug. The tavern owner seems reluctant at first but he melts into the affectionate gesture soon enough, sighing as he pats Kyungsoo on the head.

“Even after all of those years you never grew any taller than me did you?” Junmyeon chuckles and Kyungsoo pinches his side. It's always been a bet of theirs, that one day Kyungsoo would grow taller than him but it never happened. Kyungsoo sighs and he hugs Junmyeon even tighter.

“I’m grateful for everything old man, you were more of a parent than mine ever were,” he says quietly and Junmyeon is immediately confused. Kyungsoo gives him a wry smile and pulls away before he makes his way out of the tavern not without turning back one last time of course. 

“Goodbye Junmyeon, please tell Chanyeol that he’s the sweetest pup I’ve ever known and tell Minseok that his pies were the best I’ve ever had,” Kyungsoo waves softly and he exits the tavern, making sure the door slams shut. Maybe one of those blasted paintings will finally fall, Kyungsoo hated looking at those during his shifts. He looks out onto the harbour and he tries to see if there’s any ships that can possibly take him anywhere. Kyungsoo begins to walk out to the dock when he sees the pirates that were usually with Kai waiting around, clearly making anyone who looked at them uncomfortable. He tries not to look at them since he doesn’t see Kai anywhere but just as he’s about to pass by, Baekhyun pulls out a sword and holds it in front of his neck. Kyungsoo freezes in his tracks and looks down at the blade before he looks into the pirates eyes, that sparkly chain across his face is beginning to look less and less dainty. 

“Captain wants to have a word with ye barkeep, best not keep him waiting,” Baekhyun grins and Kyungsoo is considering how far he can get by throwing his bag at the pirate and running. Judging by how the other two pirates begin drawing their swords seeing his eyes darting around, he should probably just listen to them. 

“Look, I really don’t have a gem to my name and I can only really make drinks with the right things. I can’t actually make alcohol,” Kyungsoo mumbles but the pirates aren’t even looking at him. He’s forced to follow them to their ship and Kyungsoo looks up at the sails while swallowing hard. This was the end. How long could he fake it till they believed he was nothing more than a tavern bartender? Kyungsoo remembers the pearl in his pocket and he wonders if he should just toss it somewhere now. There was no way these pirates were looking for it right? They would’ve attacked the moment they found him. Kyungsoo stumbles onto the ship and he sees a number of pirates staring at him in confusion and he doesn’t get a chance to make a run for it as he’s shoved into a room. The doors were right beneath the wheel so there was no doubt he was in the Captain’s quarters. Kyungsoo looks around in fear and he can’t see anyone in plain sight so he decides to carefully shimmy his way closer to the small windows. He goes up on his tippy toes to get a better view but he probably wouldn’t fit even if he tried to.

“I apologize but with a booty that big, you probably won’t fit,” Kyungsoo whirls around at the familiar voice and he sees Kai sitting on the bed with an amused smirk on his face. Kyungsoo immediately tries to make a run for it but Kai intercepts and the two tumble to the ground. Kyungsoo cries out as the pirate pins him to the ground none too lightly and his eyes grow wide when he hears the bounce of the pearl along with the loud rolling noise. Both of their eyes follow the small thing and Kai reaches out to grab it with two fingers, smiling down at Kyungsoo as he does.

“Hello my pearl, have you taken up my offer?” Kai asks with a happy grin on his face and Kyungsoo scoffs in disbelief.

“ _ You’re _ the Captain?” he sputters and Kai laughs softly, nodding his head like it’s been something he’s wanted to tell Kyungsoo since the beginning.

“I can see you’re planning on going somewhere, won’t you tell me where Do Kyungsoo?” The sound of his surname makes his skin crawl and Kyungsoo looks up at the pirate Captain with analyzing eyes. Kai knew him, but how? He leans upwards and Kai helps him sit up but he doesn’t remove himself from his lap, pinning him down with his toned thighs. Kyungsoo takes one proper look into those playful eyes, button nose and when those plush lips stretch into a grin he sees it.

“Kim Jongin?” Kyungsoo whispers and Jongin seems delighted that he’s finally been recognized. He pulls Kyungsoo into a hug before he pulls away and pecks his lips. Kyungsoo blinks in surprise and he doesn’t know what to do when Jongin carefully holds his cheeks.

“I’ve been looking for you, ever since that day we lost you. I’ve been searching and searching and now here you are, back where you belong,” Jongin whispers and he kisses Kyungsoo again. The touch lingers longer this time and Kyungsoo is breathless when he pulls away. 

“B-but this isn’t the same ship?” Kyungsoo remembers the Captain’s quarters, of course he did. That was where he had spent most of his childhood. 

“After we lost you to the sea I couldn’t sit still and I never gave up trying to find you. Your parents and mine, they… left me with only a boat and a pouch full of coins. I used it to find a crew and after years and years of building and searching, I finally found you in Aquados. I remember that your mother gave you this pearl but I didn’t really need it to find you. I recognized you from the moment I first saw you again,” Jongin says quietly and Kyungsoo winces at how cold their parents had been and for how he hadn’t even recognized the other till now. Their parents never really cared for them, that was why Kyungsoo and Jongin had become so close. They had both been born on a ship to a pair of pirates that only cared for riches and not them. 

“Where to next? Now that you’ve finally found me,” Kyungsoo asks and he can’t keep his hands off of Jongin. The pirate Captain doesn’t seem all too interested in anything other than him and it’s oddly flattering.

“Doesn’t matter, now that I’ve found you my beautiful black pearl,” Jongin whispers and he places an open mouthed kiss on Kyungsoo’s neck.

“We should pay our parents a visit and then? We should travel the world,” Kyungsoo says and he intertwines his fingers with Jongin’s, smiling when he sees the small pearl ring sitting snug on the pirate’s finger.

**Author's Note:**

> And that was it!   
> Thank you so much for reading and please lemme know what you thought!  
> I am already aware that it probably could've been more fleshed out but I already have a slot in my mind to possibly return to it someday  
> Thank you <333 stay safe everyone and here's to 2021!


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